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The Rich Are Destroying The Earth.
Do they know something we don't?
Nick Rockel
Oct 29
Some people get really annoyed that the Green Party are socialists.
You’ve probably heard them, frustrated that there isn’t an
environmental party that anyone across the political spectrum could
vote for.
There have been a few attempts to have a so called Teal party. Some
might remember Vernon Tava’s Sustainable NZ Party, there’s TOP who are resolutely open to National, and the so-called Blue Green wing of the
Nats - I assume for party members that feel bad about their own
policies, but not enough to do anything about it.
My response is always - why do you find it hard to understand that
most people who care about the planet, also care about people too? But
lately I’ve been thinking that what is true of the left, must also be
true of the right.
I whack my head against a wall, not literally, trying to understand
why people don’t care about the existential crisis that is climate
change. Hang on a sec, let’s stop for a moment and thing about those
words - existential crisis.
We’re not talking about a cost of living crisis, where we struggle to
pay for the things we need. Not an economic crisis like a recession,
but hold that thought - once ACT are in power there will be one of
those, and their backers will make money out of it. We’re talking
about an existential crisis - something that threatens the viability
of human life on this planet, which is our home.
Anyway, back to it. What occurred to me is - why do I find it hard to understand that most people who don’t care about people, don’t care
about the planet either?
You’d think the people that right wing parties work for might have
good reason to keep living. Considering they’re typically quite
wealthy and enjoy lives beyond the reach of most.
Note, I’m not talking about the average shmo who votes for them, the
Kiwi battler that thinks if they vote for an aspirational party, that
rewards the wealthy, then one day they will be at the top. Sorry guys,
that’s not how Pyramid schemes work.
No, I’m talking about your multi millionaires, your billionaires. The
people that filled National’s coffers, helping them win the election.
The sort of person that lent David Seymour a private plane to use for campaigning. Surely these people with so much advantage, which they
spend millions rorting our political process to defend, would like to
have a planet on which to enjoy their lifestyle?
So it makes me wonder - why do the rich want to destroy the world?
I’m not talking about the politicians they bankroll who do nothing
about Climate Change, that’s bad, although pretty much par for the
course. I’m talking about the ones who are actively making things
worse than the status quo. Making life easier for those contributing
to climate change, and dismantling measures made to address it.
On the 7th of November Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the UK and a
man literally richer than the Monarch, will deliver the “King’s
Speech”. He’ll use this to announce the expansion of oil and gas
exploration, as well as pro car policies. Largely it seems to create a
wedge issue in opposing the green policies supported by the left.
Presumably the impact on the climate is just an added bonus.
Just last month Prime Minister Sunak extended the deadline for selling
new petrol and diesel cars and the phasing out of gas boilers. And
just because he’s that kind of guy he removed the requirement of
landlords to meet energy efficiency targets. According to the article
detailing those changes, last year those living in poorly insulated
homes had to spend £1,000 more on gas over the winter.
Addressing Climate Change, or protecting the environment, is boom and
bust. Left wing governments introduce measures to help, and right wing
ones get rid of them as soon as they can. For example, in the US
former President Trump rolled back more than 125 initiatives, allowing
“more pollution, drilling and logging while weakening protections for
animals such as bees, bears and birds.”
President Biden is trying to restore many of these. Although right now
he’s occupied with supporting Netanyahu’s campaign of reprisals
against Palestinian civilians.
Meanwhile billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Rupert Murdoch use
their powerful positions to spread Climate Change denial and
misinformation.
In 2020, pro-fossil fuel Facebook ads were viewed 431m times. In just
the first half of 2020, ?ads on Facebook calling climate change a hoax
were viewed at least 8m times in the United States alone. Meanwhile,
Facebook has muzzled climate scientists trying to share peer-reviewed
research.
Over at Fox News more than 80% of climate reporting comes from a
position of climate change denial. In Murdoch’s own words “Climate
change has been going on as long as the planet is here, and there will
always be a little bit of it.” Hmm, maybe Rupert should turn on a
different channel. I don’t think “a little bit of it”, covers what is
happening right now, let alone what will occur in the near future.
Not to be left out, voters here have chosen to elect the National and
ACT parties, who want to get rid of all the measures put in place to
address climate change by our last government. Rather than trying to
slow climate change they will actually be applying the accelerator to
it.
It goes without saying that a National/ACT government have no
intention of doing anything about cows belching and farting into the atmosphere. Our parliament has just elected 18 out of 121
parliamentarians with farming or agricultural backgrounds, to see to
that. But apparently they have no intention of reducing car emissions
either.
They will scrap the Clean Car Discount. National says it will be gone
by Christmas, which perhaps should have been their campaign slogan -
right public servants?
This incentive to consumers so they shift to electronic vehicles has
been hugely successful, seeing Aotearoa in the top three countries
with the largest uptake last year. New Zealand was third with a 179
percent increase from 6800 sales in 2021, the year the programme was introduced, to 19,000 sales in 2022.
The Labour government made public transport free for under 13s, and
half price for those between 13 and 24. National are committed to
ending that funding, which will result in a huge increase in travel
costs for those under 25. But others need not feel left out - Nicola
Willis indicating that she wants to get rid of concessions for
superannuitants, Community Services Cardholders, and other tertiary
students too. Of course they’ll also axe Light Rail in Auckland and
Let’s Get Wellington Moving.
So why on earth do the rich seem so intent on destroying the planet?
No doubt some of them are waiting for the Rapture. Some are so eager
for it’s arrival that they seem intent on starting the disappearance
of people, whether the great Bean Counter in the sky is ready or not.
I’m sure there are a few billionaires who think they can buy their way
out of it, perhaps a ticket on a rocket ship?
Hmm maybe those space rocket ventures from the tech billionaires
weren’t just ego projects after all? There I was thinking it was just
a midlife crisis - you’ve already had the affairs, you’ve got a
hundred sports cars, how about a Boy’s Own space adventure?
The sad reality though is these jerks know they’ll be dead before
things really hit the fan. And it should come as no surprise that,
just like every other aspect of their lives, they don’t give a stuff
about anyone but themselves.
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